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MORNINGS WITH PAULA ZAHN

Remembering The Victims: Lauren Grandcolas

Aired December 28, 2001 - 08:35   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The men and women who were killed September 11th are sometimes referred to as heroes. But some of those people were considered heroes long before they died, simply for the way they lived their lives.

CNN's Rusty Dornin has one woman's story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Life was chock full of adventurous possibilities for Lauren Grandcolas. Whether it was scuba diving or sky-diving, Grandcolas was game.

JACK GRANDCOLAS, HUSBAND: She was strong. Every one who knew her would not say that she would back down from anything. And she embraced life that way, and she -- she was not afraid. Ever. Of anything.

DORNIN: No fear in her voice when she left her husband, Jack, a message on September 11th. She called from Flight 93, two months pregnant with their first child.

GRANDCOLAS: And she said. "Jack, pick up sweetie, can you hear me?" And then she said, "Okay. I just want to tell you, there's a little problem with the plane. I'm fine. I'm totally fine," actually, is what she said. She said, "I just want to tell you how much I love you."

DORNIN: Little has been touched in their house in San Rafael, California, since she day she left. On the dining-room table, tokens of sympathy. Everywhere, images of their life together. And signs that will always remain.

GRANDCOLAS: We try to, you know, keep their pictures up here -- and -- but Lauren had written on this pad here.

DORNIN: "Get busy living or get busy dying." She was busy working on a book about improving self-esteem for women, a book her husband hopes to get published in her memory.

GRANDCOLAS: And the sadness is there in every little thing, whether it's a picture or clothing or what have you. And, that, I have learned is a good thing, to embrace it and to remember it and to hold on to it. DORNING: Holding on through the holidays has been tough this year.

GRANDCOLAS: So, did you guys have a good Christmas?

DORNIN: But, surrounded by family and friends, Grandcolas says he feels blessed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ....of lost loved ones....

DORNIN: He keeps in contact with other victims's families. While some are pressing to release the cockpit-voice recording, Grandcolas says he's not sure he wants to hear it.

GRANDCOLAS: If they decide to release it, then fine, I'll listen to it. If they don't I'm not going to -- it's probably a very sad transcript and tape. And, I'd rather focus on the beautiful message that my wife left me. Which was one of incredible courage, calmness, and love.

DORNIN: His love for 16 years, his hero, forever.

Rusty Dornin, CNN, San Rafael, California

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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